Alan K. Simpson

Alan K. Simpson Former U.S. Senator from Wyoming.

"For the past one hundred years, a steady string of Simpson’s have practiced law in the sparsely populated state of Wyoming—“the land of high altitude and low multitude” as Al’s Dad often phrased it! It began with Al’s grandfather, William L. Simpson, and was followed by his father, Milward L. Simpson. Alan K. Simpson was the third generation lawyer in his family. Al’s two sons, William L. and Colin M. Simpson carry on in the family tradition today, practicing law in the town of Cody.

"Alan Kooi Simpson was born September 2, 1931, and is a native of Cody, Wyoming. He is the second son of Milward L. and Lorna K. Simpson. His entire childhood was spent in Cody where he graduated from Cody High School.

"Before entering college, Al spent a postgraduate year at Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to have a look at life outside the Cowboy State. He then returned to begin his college career, entering the University of Wyoming in 1950 and completing his degree, a Bachelor of Science in Law, 1954.

"While at the University, Al was an active member of the Student Senate, a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, president of the “W” Club Lettermen’s organization, and he lettered in both varsity football and basketball for the Cowboys.

"Upon graduation from college, he joined the Army and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant. Al was married in the summer of 1954 to the former Ann Schroll of Greybull, Wyoming and was ordered to Fort Benning, Georgia in November of that year.

"He served overseas in the 5th Infantry Division and in the 2nd Armored Division (Hell on Wheels) in the final months of the Army of Occupation in Germany. Following his honorable discharge in 1956, Wyoming beckoned once again and Al returned to the University of Wyoming to complete his study of law, earning a Juris Doctorate degree in 1958.

"After being admitted to the Wyoming Bar and the United States District Court in 1958, and serving for a short time as Wyoming Assistant Attorney General, Al joined his father, Milward L. Simpson, and later Charles G. Kepler, the law firm of Simpson, Kepler, and Simpson in his hometown of Cody. He would practice law there for the next 18 years. During that time, Al was very active in all civic, community, and state activities. He also served 10 years as City Attorney.

"A member of a political family—his father served both as Governor of Wyoming from 1954 to 1958, and as United Stated Senator from Wyoming from 1962 to 1966—Al chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and began his own political career in 1964 when he was elected to the Wyoming State Legislature as a state representative of his native Park County.

"He served for the next 13 years in the Wyoming House of Representatives, holding the offices of Majority Whip, Majority Floor Leader, and Speaker Pro-Tem. His only brother, Peter was a member of the Student Senate, and also served as a member of the Wyoming Legislature, and presently serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the University of Wyoming.

"In 1978, Al ran for, and was elected to, the United States Senate. After a successful term, he was re-elected in 1984 with 78% of the vote and then again in 1990 to a third term with 65% of the vote. Following his first term in the Senate, Al was elected by his peers to the position of the Assistant Majority Leader in 1984 - and served in that capacity until 1994. He completed his final term on January 3, 1997.

"From January of 1998 until June 2000, Al was visiting Lecturer and the Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. In the Fall of 2000 he returned to his Alma Mater, the University of Wyoming, as a Visiting Lecturer in the Political Science Department.

"He is also a partner in the Cody and Denver law firm of Burg Simpson Eldredge and Hersh and a consultant in the Washington D.C. government relations firm, The Tongour-Simpson Group.

"He continues to serve on numerous corporate and non-profit Boards and travel throughout the country giving speeches on a variety of subjects. His book published by William Morrow Company, Right in the Old Gazoo: A Lifetime of Scrapping with the Press, chronicles his personal experiences and views of the Fourth Estate."

"He retired from the U.S. Senate in 1997 and wrote his book, Right in the Old Gazoo: A Lifetime of Scrapping with the Press. In 1999, he served as the director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government...

"Simpson is a current member of UW Allied Professional Board, Campus Advisory Board, and W.D. Ruckelhaus IENR Board. He has earned honorary doctorates from American University, Notre Dame University, Colorado College, and California Western School of Law."

"Mr. Simpson was a member of the Board of Visitors for the Folger-Shakespeare Library and the Board of Regents, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. 1994-1996. From 1998 to 2000 Mr. Simpson was the Director of the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; he was a Visiting Lecturer at the Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy, 1997-2000.

"Mr. Simpson served on the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1996 and he has been a member of the Screen Actor's Guild since 1994. He served on the Board of Directors for the Biogen Corporation (now BiogenIDEC Corporation), Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1997-2004 and he was a member of the Board of Directors of American Express Funds, now RiverSource Funds, a subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1997 through 2006.

"Mr. Simpson is an EmeritusTrustee of the Grand Teton Music Festival, Jackson, Wyoming and was formerly a member of the Board for Pacificorp from 1997-2000.

"Mr. Simpson was appointed in early 2006 to the Iraq Study Group formed under the auspices of the congressionally chartered U.S. Institute of Peace."

In 2006, USA Today reported that "Alan Simpson, a former Wyoming senator and longtime friend of Vice President Cheney, told USA TODAY that the vice president "doesn't give a rat's ass" about his critics."


 * Former co-chair of the Continuity of Government Commission
 * Director, Biogen (elected 1997)
 * Director, PacifiCorp (elected 1997)
 * Advisory Board, Common Good